A new life
by Ariole195
Summary: A life away from the past. A letter that brought you here. Everything fits into place, for once but it's not that simple. It's not all that black and white.
1. Prolouge

**Hey. I'm Ariole195. Welcome to this story. It's mostly a slice-of-life story, but elements of sci-fi and mystery will be included. Currently, I'm rating it K+ for the fact that it will never be totally innocent but that it will be mostly tame, but this may change later on. Without further ado, let's begin**. **Animal Crossing is owned by Nintendo. I only own the main character and plot.**

* * *

I stare out of the window, watching the trees go by. How long has it been since I got on? An hour? A day? I lost myself in the scenery outside, glad to get away from the past. It has been difficult but at least I remained mostly unscathed. I hold the letter in my hands. It had been delivered only yesterday. It had read that someone called Isabelle wanted to meet me. How did she get my address? I spent most of the previous day trying to work out what she wanted and how she was able to contact me.

"Hello? Is anyone sitting here?"

I avert my gaze from the window, now focusing on the cat standing in front of me. I didn't know what I was expecting when I looked up but it seems that I wasn't expecting this. He could tell in my expression that something was wrong.

"Oh, is someone sitting here?" he enquired me, pressing for answers. I guess he thought my surprise was that someone was already sitting here and that he was mistaken.

"No, nobody's sitting here," I eventually replied.

"OK. Well, can I sit here?" the cat asked me. This time, I simply nodded. He soon had claimed the seat as his own. "So, my name's Rover. What about you?"

"Violet." It was a difficult question. I wasn't exactly given a name... I guess I just randomly plucked that name out of thin air.

"Well, nice to meet you, Violet. May I ask where you're headed?" Rover looked at me, continuing to ask away.

"Well, the train ticket says I'm headed to Ersent Village." I look at the train ticket. It came attached to the letter, the same one this Isabelle sent me.

"What a lovely place that is. The cherries are to die for, trust me."

"I will."

An announcement sounded through the speakers on the train. "Now arriving at Ersent Station."

My stop. My new life. A new leaf. As I step off the train, Rover waves me goodbye. I wave back at him and take my first step forward. Forward to a new life in Ersent Village.

* * *

 **So, yeah, that was an introduction to this new story. Uploads may be few and far between but I hope you guys will still read it.**


	2. Chapter 1: Greetings to Ersent!

**Hi again. It's good to be writing the second chapter. Thanks to YoBoiSterling27 for favoriting and following, as well as Willwhirld for following. So, let's not dwell on the past and move on to the future.**

* * *

I step off the train and look around at the train station. It's neat and tidy, with a nice view outside. It's a good first impression, much nicer than where I come from. After I leave the station, I'm greeted by 5 people, one being human, like me. The other 4 are animals, like Rover.

One seems to be a female pig, light-pink in color. I like her shirt - a daisy on a pink background. A second one is a male cat, like Rover. Unlike Rover, this cat is white with red markings on his face, arms, legs, and tail. His eyes are yellow in color. The third one is a deer, complete with antlers. His fur is mostly black, with white highlights around his eyes, on his paws, feet and an ear. The last animal is a dog, with yellow fur. Her fur is bundled up, looking like hair. She seems to be wearing a uniform, which makes her look cute.

The human is the one I recognize a little. He was from the same place that I was from, but he was 'terminated' a little over a week ago. It seems, however, he escaped like I did. He's now wearing a red shirt with a small number 1 by his heart, black trousers, sneakers and a messy hairstyle.

"Are you the one who received Dayln's letter?" the dog asked me, shaking my hand nervously and gesturing over to the human, who waved at me. I suppose he was Daylen.

"Oh, yeah. I did," I answered back. I look around the group. "Is there anyone else around here? And who is Isabelle?"

"Well, there's Reece and Cyrus at Re-tail; Tom Nook at his office; Timmy and Tommy at the Nooklings; Tortimer in the mayor's office; the Able sisters at the clothes store; Kicks at his shop and Blathers in the museum," explained Dayln.

"And I'm Isabelle!" eagerly exclaimed the dog.

"I guess I should introduce the other three," Dayln told me. "First there's Gala."

"Hello. I'm glad you're going to be joining us," the pig, now known as Gala, greeted me.

"I'm Kabuki," the cat said, nodding in my attention.

"And I'm Zell!" the deer shook my hand, boldly.

"Nice to meet you all. Thanks for letting me be a member of the community," I smiled at Isabelle, Dayln, Gala, Kabuki, and Zell. I'm going to be happy here, like Dayln. I'll make Ersent Village my home, and a good one.

* * *

Eventually, Isabelle directed my attention to a nearby house. It had a pale blue exterior, silver letterbox, blue-tiled roof, purple door and blue violets on the window sill. It was a very nice house, it was almost magic that they got this house perfect for me.

"So, do you like it?" Zell asked me, curious about my opinion.

"I love it!" I breathed out.

"I knew you would," Kabuki crossed his arms and smiled, slightly lopsided.

"I picked out the flowers," Gala nervously pointed out.

"This house is our welcome to you, Violet," Isabelle patted me on the shoulder, giving me the keys to the house. "Go inside. You don't have to come out for the rest of the day." With that, the residents of Ersent Village left me to my own devices.

Inside the house, there were a couple dust bunnies, but aside from that, it was clean and tidy. A pleasant odor fills the air as I look around the room. There was a single bed, a 2X1 table, 2 chairs, a chest of drawers and a mirror. I stare into the mirror and smile. The reflected image of me smiles back. As I look at myself, I realize that I'm still wearing the shirt I was wearing at that place. At that time, I could only think one thing.

"I need to go to the Able trio."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 2: The first few hours

**Hi again. This chapter will be focused more on Violet's interactions with some of the special villagers, as well as introducing a couple more. So, without further ado, let's go.**

* * *

I start walking towards the Able Sister's place when I bump into Isabelle. She turns to me, surprised.

"Oh, sorry Isabelle! I didn't mean to bump into you..." I start rambling but Isabelle stops me.

"It's fine, Violet. Are you wondering what to do right now?" Isabelle calmly asked me.

"Erm... well, I was planning to go to meet the Able Sisters to..." I stop partway through my response. I have no money. "Well, I forgot I have no money..."

"Oh, OK. There's an easy way to earn some money. Go to the beach and collect some seashells. You then sell them at Re-Tail. You should earn enough to buy a fishing rod or a net," Isabelle patiently explained to me. She was really nice to me, despite the fact that I disturbed her. I guess this is why she's assistant mayor.

"Thank you very much, Isabelle. I will see you around. Bye."

"Goodbye, Violet. Also, a couple of people are moving in tomorrow, just to give you a head's up."

"OK, Thanks Isabelle." as I walk away, I wonder about the new people moving in. Will they be human, like me and Dayln? Or an animal? If so, which ones? Or will one be an animal and the other be a human? My mind wonders about the new people moving in, as I walk to the beach. There, I collect a handful of seashells. I wander around the area, wondering where Re-Tail is. Eventually, I find Re-Tail. It's a pink building, with a blue roof, a pink door with a heart window, a billboard next to the entrance and a wooden sign with the word 'Re-Tail' written on it. I enter the door.

* * *

I am greeted by a pink-furred alpaca. She also has black eyes, a brown nose, and pale pink lipstick. I like her apron; red-pink with golden buttons, a pink heart, and blue stitches.

"Welcome to Re-Tail," she said, outstretching her arm to reveal a black hoof for a hand. "I'm Reese, and over there is Cyrus, my husband." As I shake her hoof, she nods at a sleeping blue furred alpaca, who I guess is Cyrus. He looks exactly like a male version of his wife, except his apron is blue with red stitches instead.

"I'm Violet, nice to meet you, Reese," I introduce myself. "Do you buy seashells?"

"Why yes, I do. Let me have a look." I give her all of my seashells except for one. "OK, that comes to 2080 bells. Are you willing to sell them?"

"Yes, I am." After I say this, Reese takes the seashells and hands me the change. I take the change and put it into my pocket, along with the last shell.

"Thank you for selling to Re-Tail. Hope to see you again, Violet."

"Same here, Reese."

I head out of the shop, last seashell in hand. I walk around for a while, unsure of where Isabelle is. I decide it's for the best to go to the Mayor's Office, to check if Isabelle is indeed back on duty.

* * *

When I arrive, Isabelle is behind her desk, working on some paperwork, along with the mayor. I didn't expect the mayor to be quite as... well, as old as he was. The mayor, who is a tortoise, has pale yellow skin, a green-and-blue shell, black-rimmed glasses and a matching black top-hat, as well as a magnificent white beard. He was wearing a red shirt complete with a floral design, which surprised me a little. I didn't know our mayor had an interest in floral designs.

"Hi, Isabelle. Hi mayor," I greeted the two upon arrival.

"Hi, Violet. Oh, you haven't met our mayor Tortimer yet, have you?" Isabelle quizzes me.

"I don't think she has, Isabelle," Tortimer claims, shaking my hand. "What brings you here, whippersnapper?"

I told Tortimer about what happened this morning and how I was giving this seashell to Isabelle as a thank-you present. She gleefully accepts the seashell, holding it in her paws.

"Thanks a lot, Violet. This one is really nice," Isabelle thanks me, admiring her new seashell. She takes a piece of string out of her pocket and makes the shell into a necklace, which she wore immediately after making it. Either she's a good actor, or she is genuinely pleased. Succeeding the event, I walk out of the Mayor's Office, waving goodbye to Isabelle and Tortimer and finally headed to the Able Sisters.

* * *

Once I arrived at the Main Street, I discovered that the clothes shop was open in a few minutes, so I sat on a bench overlooking the ocean. The waves rolling over one another was soothing to the eyes and ears. As I breathed in the salty air, I heard the bells ring for 10am. I got up from my seat and walked over to the shop. As I entered, I was greeted by a blue hedgehog wearing a green gingham apron. She seemed pleased to see me by the tone of her voice, as I couldn't see her mouth.

"Welcome! I'm Mabel, and over by the sowing machine is Sable. Next door is Label, I mean Labelle. How may I help you today?" Mabel asked me cheerily. She clearly has a passion for clothes, which is admirable.

"I'm here to buy some clothes."

"Alright, they're at the back. Have as long as you need." Mabel directed me over to a line of clothes.

I was amazed by the quality of these clothes. They were well made, with hardly any noticeable stitches. I admire the craftsmanship of the clothes. I turned to Sable and gave her a thumbs up. She didn't look up from her work, just continuing to craft her clothes.

After a while of browsing the 3 tops and 2 bottoms, I finally pick out a combination of the airy tee and black formal skirt. I paid for the items (780 bells in total) and I wore them out the shop.

* * *

When I got outside, I saw Zell with a couple other people: a cub and a penguin. The cub was yellow, like Isabelle. However, the cub wore quite a lot of make-up, had dark purple eyes, white paws and a dark pink jacket. She was also carrying a camera and was tweaking with the settings. On the other hand, the penguin was a navy-blue, with huge pupils, yellow-orange feet and beak, as well as a red-checked shirt.

"Hey, Violet!" Zell yelled to me. "Come meet some of my friends. They're moving in tomorrow."

Oh, these are the new villagers Isabelle said were moving in tomorrow. I didn't know they were Zell's friends, as well. I walk over to the trio.

"Violet, these are Tammy and Roald, some of my friends from university. Tammy, Roald, this is Violet. She moved in earlier today," Zell introduced me to them. Roald waved at me, clearly enthusiastic to meet me. Tammy looked up from her camera and smiled at me.

"So, Violet, why did you move here?" Roald asked me. "I'm moving here since it's close to the gym."

I don't have a good answer for that question. It will take a long time to explain everything to them, and I'm not one to tell anyone about my past. So, I just shrug and say, "I felt like it, I suppose." Not the best answer, but one that won't raise any questions.

"Ah, OK. Thanks, ladybro." Roald smiles at me, and forms his flipper into a fist, which I assume to be a thumbs-up. It's hard to tell with penguins.

"Trusting your instincts, are you?" Tammy asks me, not looking up from her camera.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Same here, Violet. Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow, I need to finish packing up my furniture, ya heard." With that, Tammy bid us farewell as she headed to the train station.

"I guess I should be going as well. Cya tomorrow you guys!" Roald cheerily waved at us and ran after Tammy. As they were leaving, Zell turned to me.

"So, what do you think of them?" Zell asked me.

"They're neat," I reply. "So, how did you meet them?"

"Oh, I met them when I went to university. I was studying to be a movie director. I met Tammy on some course work and she introduced me to Roald, her next-door neighbour. We've been friends ever since."

"So, why did you move to Ersent Village?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, I moved here because it was nearby and cheap. Plus, it had a lot of good filming potential. However, since many people moved out later along the line, I soon grew close to Gala and Kabuki. They were the only ones who didn't move away," Zell explained to me. It was very interesting, I had to admit. "Hey, Violet. would you like to check out my home later today?"

I wasn't expecting that question; he caught me off-guard. "Y-yeah. I'd like that very much," I manage to stutter out.

"Kabuki, Gala and Dayln will be there as well. Is that OK?"

"Oh, it's great." I need to get closer to them. I've grown slightly closer to Zell, but the other three, not at all.

"Alright, see you at one, pronk."

"Goodbye for now."

* * *

 **Current status of Ersent Village:**

 **Villagers:  
Violet  
Dayln  
Gala  
Kabuki  
Zell  
Roald (future)  
Tammy (future)**

 **When I release this chapter, it'll actually be Gala's birthday! So, happy birthday to her.**


	4. Chapter 3: A short meeting

**Hi again. Nothing new to add, so let's get right into it.**

* * *

I wait around at Zell's house. Nobody else is around, so I begin to worry that I'm early. Maybe I'm just paranoid. I try to calm myself down be looking to the river. It's glimmering in the light and the fish underneath the surface seem to glow silver.

"OK, you've been in this place for only a few hours. Of course, you're scared that they won't like you," I mutter to myself. "They will, and even if they don't, there are more coming tomorrow."

"Um, excuse me, are you Violet?" an unfamiliar voice asked me. As I looked up, I saw a raccoon (maybe a tanuki) looking at me. He was brown all over, with a darker shade of fur surrounding his face, making it look like a mask. He had the same darker fur around his nose and on his legs, making them look like trousers. His undershirt is white, with a red neck-tie, and his sweater is green with a diamond pattern.

"Yes, sir. Yes, I am," I quickly blurt out.

"Yes yes, I thought so. Anyway, I see the others have shown you your house, I gather?" the raccoon asks me.

"Yes, they have. I love it," I respond. I hope he's not going to force me to do something.

"Ah, yes, I thought so. Anyway, I have a slight debt of 19,800 bells that you must pay off. Doesn't matter when it's completed, yes yes, as long as that you don't move out with an unfinished debt. Any questions?"

I thought for a while. So, this guy has debt for my house and I can pay it off whenever I can? That doesn't sound as bad as what I was thinking he was going to do. "Alight, I agree. However, I do have a question."

"Ask away," he responds quite quickly. Seems he's eager for my question.

"What is your name?"

He looks at me, confused. Did he not realize he hasn't given me his name? "Oh, of course. My name's Tom. Tom Nook, yes yes." Tom Nook takes out a clipboard and pen out of his pockets. "Alright, If you sign on the line, we can agree that yes, you will pay off your debt and not move to another town.

I read the paper quite closely, just to get all the details. 19,800 bells, that is quite a lot of money, so I was curious as to where it all goes. Turns out that 90% of his earnings from people paying debt goes to an orphanage. That doesn't seem so bad, but what if he's donating to an orphanage who uses the money for greedy, selfish actions?

"Hm? Why are you not signing the paper? Tom Nook quietly asks me.

"Oh, which orphanage are you donating the money to? Do you know what they're doing with it?" I'm scared it may come out rude, but he just laughs.

"I've visited it many times. It's a nice place, trust me. It may seem scary at first, but that's just because it has iron fences. The facility is well-built and I even have a ward named after me. So, everything there is fine and dandy," he cheerfully answers. I guess nobody has asked him before. Content with what he said, I sign the paper and hand it back to him.

"Yes yes. Thanks much. Anyway, you can pay your debt at the post office. Well, goodbye, Violet!" Tom Nook makes his way to the main street, leaving me to standing outside of Zell's house, waiting for the others.

* * *

After 5 minutes I gather that maybe I'm at the wrong address. I see Gala walking around so I approach her for answers.

"Hey, Gala. Where's Zell's house? He asked me to come round and I've been waiting outside of his house for a little while now," I ask her, confused.

She laughs a little, then replies, "That's Kabuki's house, snortie. I was just heading to Zell's house myself, actually. Want to walk with me?"

I oblige, following Gala to the real location. I feel quite embarrassed that I got the wrong house so I try and cover my face. After crossing a bridge and passing some cherry trees, Gala stops in front of a house decorated at the front with 2 red cosmos. Gala knocks at the door and enters, me following closely behind her.

* * *

Zell's house is... fancy. That's the only way I can describe it. The floor is checked black and white while his walls are decorated to make it seem like the night sky. He has 2 plants, a piano and a pool table.

It seems like Kabuki and Dayln have settled into the sofa. They were chatting about fish. It seems like they are both interested in fishing. I sit on the floor and Gala sits next to me. We both look at Zell, as if to ask "Why did you call us here?"

As if Zell can read our minds, he clapped his hands and we all turned to look at him. "OK, the reason I called you in here is because Leila and Connor are coming back to town."

Quietly, I ask Gala, "Who is Leila and Connor?"

"They are human residents, like you and Dayln, except more full of themselves. Connor is slightly more tolerable than Leila. He keeps to himself and plays a lot of sport, especially football. Leila just wants to be in charge, have the biggest house and have the most bells. She's apparently taking over from Tortimer next month," Gala explained. I didn't really like the sound of this Leila person... I hope we don't talk much.

Zell raised his hands again. "In lighter moods, 2 of my uni friends will be moving in tomorrow and... That's about it. Thanks for taking some time to come here. Please return to your usual schedules."

As we all make it to the door, Dayln holds me back and gives me a sheet of parchment. As I unfold the parchment, I see a layout of Ersent village. I can clearly see my house, inked in yellow. There are a few other houses - 3 are recolours of my house, while the others are green and look small. There is also a tree surrounded by pavement, the town hall in purple and Re-tail in pink.

"Thanks a bunch, Dayln," I quickly gabble and leave Zell's house and head to my place. Now with the map, it takes a lot less time. As soon as I arrive, I quickly change out of my new clothes and back into my white sheets from where I arrived from. I slip into the bed, which is warm and cosy, a major upgrade from my previous sleeping area. I fall straight asleep, feeling warm and loved.

* * *

 **Sorry, it took so long, I had some writer's block.**


	5. Chapter 4: The next day

I awoke to the sound of someone knocking on my door. Stretching, I check outside my door to see who it could be. Once I opened the door, I saw a girl with a serious expression looking at me. She was around my height, with bubblegum pink hair swept into a ponytail and across one of her eyes. Her visible eye was a forest green, seemingly going on for eternity. I knew at once this had to be Leila.

"Hey, I'm..." she began.

"Leila? Yeah, I know. Everyone else here isn't too fond of you. Why?" I ask her, perplexed.

"Simple. I don't talk to them. My friend Desmond doesn't either, but they find him more likeable since he keeps active and such. I, on the other hand, just prefer to keep to myself in my house and make my plans," she explains.

"Plans to take over after Tortimer? Also, they mentioned that you were greedy and wanted more bells than them," I added after a quick thought.

Leila looks at me, confused. "Look, the only reason I have so many bells is that my plan desires it. I just made up the house thing on a whim, to throw off the scent of my real plans." She quickly looks around. Only Gala is out, and she was fishing by the river and talking to Pete the pelican. "May I come in?"

I hesitate, but she lets herself into my home. She doesn't comment on anything, much unlike the person I thought she was only yesterday. Eventually, she quietly said, "Test number 77092, if I'm correct?"

Only then does it hit me. She was referring to my serial number, my identification. My name for nearly 10 years. I nod at her question. Now, it's time I explain to you about this place that I lived in until a couple of days ago.

* * *

It was a horrible place. The people who owned it didn't seem to mind how we were being treated, they were just interested in the profit they turned up. On the outside, it looked like a dream home, but on the inside, it was anything but. It was a hell, with people being 'terminated' for the worst of reasons. Everyone there was a test subject, being forced to work like animals and being made into horrid hybrids, with your body contorted and pushed to your limits. If you failed, you were terminated, which meant you were killed. I was one of the lucky ones, as I was there for around 10 years, but they never tried to advance me onto more promising opportunities. I was, instead, a mere prospect. A second-chance who never got that chance.

The day the letter came was the same day they remembered me, or 77092 as they called me. 7709 was my code, whilst the 2 meant second for reasons I already explained. They were working on contorting and removing my features such as my ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and digits. They started earlier that day with my left ear. They wanted to remove it, but instead, they just contorted the flesh. I yelled and thrashed around, but they didn't care, they just beat me. I ended up with a deformed ear, which was OK there, it was normal. However, out here it was a nightmare. I wore my hair down so that it covered my ear. That was also the same day I got Isabelle's letter.

There, I explained it. I meant to do it earlier, but I suppressed the thought for so long. Now, I will continue to the story.

* * *

I nod at her question. A faint smile crawled across her lips.

"Hey wait... how'd you know my serial code?" I questioned Leila, puzzled.

"You're wearing your clothes from that place and the tag is still hanging from your neck. Anyway, that's not the point. Tonight, we've got to do it," she exclaimed.

"Do what, exactly?"

"Sneak back into that building and save as many people as we can from the horrors that befell us. You cover that ear because you were deformed there, right?" she asked me.

I held my hair back to let the contorted ear show. It still stung, even though it was 2 days ago. Leila smiled back at me and swept her hair back, revealing a hole where her eye was. I looked at her eye hole, then back at her face. Leila let go of her swept-back hair, letting it fall over her eye whilst I do the same with my hair. We didn't speak a word for a while, but we both knew I wanted to help her. Help her do something we should've done forever ago. Save us. Save ourselves.

We will revolt against them!

* * *

Leila left my house after the exchange. By this point, the clock had struck 9 am. I walked outside my home and realised I need to pay off my debt to Tom Nook. The sun rained down on my skin as I walked over to the beach to collect and sell the seashells that have washed up on the shore. I quickly sold them off to Reece then I walked to the main street and turned right into the Nookling Junction. I walked into their store and quickly bought a fishing rod. I spent the rest of that day fishing. It was tedious work, but I wanted to pay off my loan as soon as I could.

After fishing for 2 hours, I finally made 19,800 bells. I paid off my debt at the post office, then went to see Nook. He seemed quite pleased with how I quickly paid off my debt and I declined any more expansions. I finally went home, after a relatively boring day. Nothing grand happened except for Leila's visit so I decided to take a nap for a couple of hours.

* * *

I was awoken in the middle of the night when I saw mysterious shadow throwing clothes towards me - all deep blues and purples. I glance over at the mysterious shadows, who then reveal themselves to be Leila, Dayln and Desmond, all wearing similar coloured clothing.

"Come on Violet," I hear one of them say. "We have to go right now!"

Staggering out of my bed, I sluggishly changed into the provided clothing. The clothing is tight yet loose and made for someone a lot bigger than me. Eventually, I wriggle into it and head out, only to be greeted by the presence of the other human residents of Ersent Village.

"What's happening?" I ask them.

"We have to leave Ersent," Dayln says to me, holding my arms. "They found out our location. We have to run away."

"I'm sorry," another male voice says, who I presumed to be Desmond. "I accidentally told some sheep earlier today, when I was in the city. I'm guessing they were a staff member and alerted the facility of our presence."

"Or..." Leila holds up a missing poster. Even in the dim light, I can clearly make out us in the photo. "It's too late to stay here, we have to run and tell everyone about this place."

Hearing this, I immediately run back into my room and I start scribbling a message.

 _Dear reader,_

 _The reason we had to leave this wonderful place is for complex reasons.  
The reason is that we are being hunted.  
Don't worry, we're not criminals. It's just the facility we used to live is now hunting us. We have to escape from this wonderful place because they want us back for experiments. We promise that you were not a reason. You're lovely and wonderful, even if you see us differently. _

_From your friends,  
Leila, Desmond, Dayln and Violet._

 _P.S. If anyone asks where we are, say that we're not here. Give no other evidence of our escape._

I quickly stick this note on the closest door and nod to the others. They nod back and we head to the train station, ready to escape the place we once believed was our eternal home. I have only been here for two days, but I will miss this place dearly.


End file.
